Closure fastening device



J. T. F. BUTLER 2,924,479

CLOSURE FASTENING DEVICE Feb. 9, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEQTOR 55: 5 :1@AMQQ/Z Filed March 28, 1956 Feb. 9,. 1960 J. T. F. BUTLER 2,924,479

, CLOSURE FASTENING DEVICE Filed March 28, 1956 2 Sheets-Shet 2 UnitedStates Patent 2,924,479 I CLOSURE FASTENING DEVICE Jt'illieS'TaFrBuflenTakoma Park, Md. Application March 28; 195 6,Serial No. 574,457 solemn.(Clh-ZQZ- -296') V inventiorr'relates broadly to closure fasteners andmore particularly to a'ratehet operated clamping device for sliding'orswing'ing; closures;

One of the" objects'of my invention is to provide acompact"constructiontof closure device" which may be readily insertedinto position between two parts which are to be fastened and the partsclamped by the adjustment of a slidable device withrespect to a ratchet.

Another-object of m'yinvention is to provide aratchet Controlledadjustable clamping device which may be insert'ed betweenalatc'h and theassociated locking recess in a door anddoorjarnh anda' clamp' thrust"into adjusted position. for maintaining the'do'or in a closed positionwith respect to the associated jamb where the clamp is movable along afoldable guide forming" part of the latching device.

Still anotherfob'ject' of'n'iy invention-is to provide a construction offoldable guide for a clo's'urefastener' device formed by" a pair" ofhingedly connected sections where meet the seed serves as a carrier fora clampingd'eviceinstored or re racted position,.while the other of thesections serves an. insertion and ratchet device for elfect'in'g anadjustable clamping operation or the parts to be secured.

Otherand further objects of my invention reside in a resilient Imechanism attached-to a closure" fastener and engageabl'e'with therecess of a latching. device'as set forth more fiilly inthe-specification hereinafter following by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top planvie'w of the closurefastener of my invention shownin position for fastening a swinging door, the view illustrating certainof the associated parts in transverse section, and showing particularlythe slidable clamp moved to a position out of 'thep'athof the swinging.deer; v

Fig. 2 is a view similar to the-view illustratedin Fig. 1 but showingthe adjustable clamping device moved to clamping. position with respectto the parts of a door;

Fig. 3 is anelevenonar view illustrating the coaction of thfe clampwithja door in closed position;

Fig. 4 illustrates in longitiidinal' section the parts of the closurefastener illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fi"g. '5 shows the closure fastener with the guide for receiviiigf-IHeclampingide'viee moved into the ratchet portion of the clamping. device;I

Fig. 6. is an enlarged transverse sectional view showing themanner inwhich the closure fastener of my invention maybe inserted in the mortiseof a door jamb to enable the door to befastened with respect to the doorjamb;

Fig. 7 is averticalsectional view taken substantially Online' 77' of Fig6; v

Fig.18 is aview looking at the rear' of the portion of the closure:fastener thatis insertable between the door and the" door'jamb andillustrating particularly the adjustable spring whiclr engagesthezmortise or. recess inthe door jamb? Fig. a9' is'a perspectiveview-of the resilient device carri'e'd 'by the insertableportion of thefastener of my inven- 2,924,419 Patented Feb. 9, 196(l tion. and whichis adapted to adjustablyengage the, mortise. v

or recess in the door jamb: N

Fig. 10 is a view similar to the v'iew' illustrated in Fig". 6, butshowing the application of the device of my invention. to a door whereinthe mortise or recess in the door jamb is substantially smaller than themortise or recess in the door jamb illustrated in Fig. 6;

Fig. 11 is an .elevational view of a closure fastener device embodyingmy inventionbut' illustrating a" modified Fig. 15 is a fragmentary frontelevational. view on. an:.

enlarged scale showing the manner of pivotally mounting the swingingpart of the device in the flat plate of the device; and

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged seal 7 of thestructure shown in Fig. 15.

My invention is directed to a ratchet type lock for fastening tworelatively movable parts. I have illustrated my invention asparticularlyapplicable to aratchetdoor loclc but it will be understoodthat other applications of. the device will readily suggest themselves.The ratchet door lock of my invention consists of a pair of flathingedmetallic members where the members may be moved to coplanar position orfolded to a relatively compact position. A pawl controlled slide isprovided which is mov: able over'the two parts of the device when theparts are incoplanar alignmentand which may be stowedtout of obstructingposition on one part of the hinged device or which may be adjusted incoaction with a ratchet'on'the other part of the device for fastening.the door in closed position with respect to a coacting door. jamb. Thepart of the device which is ratched for the adjustmentof the slide alsocarries a resilient deviceengageable in thelatc'h recess or mortise inthe door jamb. Theresilient device may have many forms, either in thenature of the spring.

wire assembly or the reciproeative-device shown in the drawings, orother forms of engagement meanswithin the scope of the appended claimshereinafter following;

I have found the ratchet door lock of my inventiontparticularlyeffective in fastening a door from the inside for preventing entry. Thedevice is readily portable and is foldable into a compact package fortransportation'and. application to various types of doors or otherrelatively movable closures.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, referencecharacter 1designates a fixed. door jamb while reference character 2 shows acoacting hinged door swingable from the position illustrated in Fig. 1to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, the door including theconventional reciprocati-ve latch represented at 2a. The door jamb 1 isprovided with the conventional latch recess or mortise 3; This recess ormortise "3 may be of various sizes in dif* ferent doors as indicated inthe comparativ'e'Figs. 6 and 10, for example, where the recess ormortise 3 in the door jamb 1 of Fig. 6 has substantial transverse width,whereas the comparable recess or mortise in the door jamb 1' of Fig. 10has substantially less transverse width designated at 3' in Fig. 10. Imention this to emphasize the fact that. the" device of my invention hasbeen developed to meet a wide variety of conditions which maybeencountered invarioustypesof door installations. It iis usual hingedparts 6 and 7 hingedlyconnected at 8. The part' 6 is" pressed froma'strip of flat sheet metal and has an outstruck lug 9 projectingtherefrom in a plane normal to the plane of the flat strip 6 and adaptedto be in-' sorted in the'rectangular recess or 5' (Figs. 6 and 10) o'fthe frame 4 or 4' and into the mortise or recess 3 or 3'. The lug 9 isstruck from the material of the strip 6 leaving an open central path 10in the end of the strip 6. That is the strip 6 is bifurcated on the endthereof, the two parts of the bifurcation being indicated at 11 and 12in Fig. ,8. The bifurcation carries either the resilient wire devicewhich I have shown in Figs. 1-10 or the reciprocative device shown inFigs. 11 and 14. The resilient wire device of Figs. 1-10 is shown inperspective v'iew'in Fig. 9 and consists of a pair of resilient wireside members 14 and 15 having intermediate resilient coils 16 and 17therein. The ends of the wire side members at 18 and 19 extend intoapertures provided in plate 6 and form fastening means between theresilient wire assembly and the plate 6. The opposite end of theresilient wire assembly is formed as shown in Fig. 9 whereth'e sideportions 14 and 15 of the wire assembly are interconnected by thetransversely extending portion 20 having re-entrant bends 21 and 22connected therewith which enable the displaceable end of the wireasseinbly to slidably engage the inwardly directed edges of thebifurcations 11 and 12. The wire side members 14 and 15 connect to there-entrant bends 21 and 22 through the offset portions 23 and 24. Theoffset portions 23 and 24 of the wire side members 14 and 15 formnotches in the wire side members which engage over the edge 25 of frame4 in Fig. 6, or edge 25 of frame 4' in Fig. 10. In order to adapt theplate 6 to door jambs having recesses or mortises 3 or 3' (Figs. 6 and10) of different transverse widths the resilient wire assembly is simplyforced into the frame 4 or 4 of the recess'or mortise in the door jamb,resulting in the vicelike compression of the resilient'wire assemblywhere the re-entrant' bends 21 and 22 slide on the inner edges ofbifurcations 11 and 12 and offset portions 23 and 24 snap intoengagement with the edge of the frame 4 or 4 at 25 or 25 where the lug 9serves as a limiting means for positioning the plate 6 with respect tothe opposite edge of the frame 4 or 4' as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The hinged part7 which connects through hinged connection 8 with thehinged part 6 consists of a wire frame pivoted at its ends at 26 and 27in the end of plate 6, and is provided with a finger-engaging portion 28at its opposite end. The substantially parallel sides of the wire frame7 abut with projections 6a on plate 6 as shown more clearly in Figs. 15and 16, which limit the movement of hinged part 7 in one directionbeyond a coplanar position as illustrated in Fig. 5, although is free tomove in the opposite direction as illustrated in Figs. 1-4. The part 7is movable from the coplanar position shown in Fig. 5 limited by theabutment stops 6a on plate 6 to a position within the limits of an acuteangle with respect to the plane of part 6 as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Thefinger-engaging portion 28 in one end of the hinged part 7 is connectedthrough a chain 29 through a fixed connection 30 on the door jamb formaintaining the device in position with respect to the door when thedevice is permanently applied to any particular door. Otherwise, thedevice may be simply carried in a purse as a portable device and used tofasten any door or other closure on the inside against entry from theoutside. Y

, The plate 6 is; provided with vertically extending ratchet teeth whichI have indicated at 31. These ratchet teeth are disposed transversely ofthe plate 6 and are closely spaced permitting close adjustment of theslide 32 which is engageable over the hinged parts 6 and 7. The slide 32carries a pawl 33 pivotally mounted on transverse bar 34 carried by thelugs 35 struck from the material of the slide 32. The pawl 33 isprovided with teeth 36 which engage the ratchet teeth 31 on plate 6. Acoil spring 37 interposed between one of the lugs 35 precise adjustmentof pressure and the pawl 33 serves to bias pawl 33 in a position wherethe teeth 36 thereon tend-to engage the ratchet teeth 31 on plate 6. Afinger actuator 38 on pawl 33 may be depressed to release the teeth 36from engagement with the ratchet teeth 31. The slide 32 carries apressure plate 39 extending in a plane normal to the axis of the slide32 and which engages the face of the door 2 as shown more clearly inFigs. 2-5. By forcing the pressure. plate 39 against the face of thedoor 2 when the device is inserted in the position illustrated in Figs.2-5 the door 2 may be confined in position with respect to the doorjamb 1. By reason of the fine-adjustment permitted because of the closelinear pitch of the ratchet teeth 31 on plate 6 andthe teeth 36 on pawl33 a very plate 39 against door 2 may be obtained.'

When the device is not in use, the device may be maintained in positionillustrated in Fig. 1, with the plate 6 resiliently engaged inthe recessor mortise in the door jamb -1 and the slide 32 stowed on the hingedpart 7, or'

the device may simply be hung from the chain 29 fastened to the fixedconnection 30. In any event the assembly is most compact. When, however,the device is placed in use the slide 32 must be transferred from thestowed position shown in Fig. 1 to the fastening position illustrated inFigs. 2 and 4. This is accomplished by moving the hinged part 7 to aposition coplanar with plate 6 as shown 'in Fig. 5, whereupon slide 32may be transferred from the stowed portion on hinged part 7 to thefastening position on hinged part 6. The pressure plate 39 is thenforced against door 2 and the teeth 36 of pawl 33 engaged in theselected ratchet teeth 31 in plate 6 thereby maintaining a reliableclosure of door 2 without any necessity of a key at all. Pawl 33 ismanipulated by pressing spring biased finger actuator 38 to enable theslide 32 to be moved to the desired adjusted position or the pressureexerted by pressure plate 39 relieved and withdrawn for restoring theslide 32 to the stowed position as shown at 31.

In the operation of the device of my invention the plate 6 forms a camsurface against which the conventional reciprocative latch 2a in thedoor 2 moves and is retracted from the position illustrated in Fig.1 tothe position illustrated in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. Under these conditions akey for the conventional lock is unnecessary andthe securing of the dooris achieved by forcing the pressure plate 39 againstfthe door with theplate 6 secured in position in the door jamb as shown in Figs. 2and 4.I.

In lieu of the resilient wire assembly shown in Figs. 1-10, I may employthe reciprocative device shown in Figs. 11-14 consisting of the block 40which is curved on its exterior face and which is provided with lineallyextending lugs 41 and 42 on opposite sides thereof which slide in aconfined path along grooves in the inner edges of bifurcations 11 and12. Thelug 9 serves not only as an entry member for entering the recessor mortise 3 in the jamb 1 of the door but also as a confining means forthe coil spring 43 which bears against the block 40 urging the block 40to its limit of movement restricted by the strip 44 which is fastenedacross the bifurcated ends 11 and 12 of'plate 6. The, block 40 is freeto be displaced against the action of coil spring 43 to a position inwhich it may readily engage the recess or mortise 3 through therectangular recess 5 in frame 4 of the door 5. displaceable the devicemay be secured in recesses or mortises of various sizes as explained inconnection with the resilient wire assembly in the form of my inventionin Figs. 1-10.. The curved surface 40a of block 40 insures. a cam-likeslidableentry into and out of the rectangular recess 5 in frame 4 of therecess or mortise 3.

[have found the device of my invention highly practical and successfulin use, and while I have described my invention in certain of itspreferred embodiments I realize that modifications may be made, and Idesire that it be understood that no limitations upon my invention areintended other than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is as follows:

1. A closure fastener for securing a movable member with respect to afixed member comprising a pair of pivotally connected parts, means onone of said parts for engaging the fixed member, the other of said partsbeing movable from a position coplanar with the aforesaid part to aposition at an acute angle with respect thereto, a slide carrying apressure plate engageable with the movable member, said slide having atransverse section which envelops the transverse section of said partwhich engages the fixed member and being shiftable in positionsselectively enveloping each of said parts when said parts are aligned incoplanar position, said slide being stowable in a position transverselyenveloping one of said parts and the said part with the slide stowedthereon being swingable about the pivot on said first mentioned part toa position at an acute angle with respect to the plane of said firstmentioned part and means on said first mentioned part for selectivelymaintaining the position of said slide and the pressure plate thereonwith respect to the movable member and in which said first mentionedpart is provided with a pair of transversely spaced longitudinallyextending abutment stops thereon projecting beyond the end of said firstmentioned part at one side of the path of movement of said other partfor resisting the movement of said last mentioned part to a positioncoplanar with said first mentioned part.

2. A closure fastener for securing a movable member With respect to afixed member comprising a pair of pivotally connected parts, means onone of said parts for engaging the fixed member, the other of said partsbeing movable from a position coplanarwith the aforesaid part to aposition at an acute angle with respect thereto, a slide carrying apressure plate engageable with the movable member, said slide having atransverse section which envelops the transverse section of said partwhich engages the fixed member and being shiftable in positionsselectively enveloping each of said parts when said parts are aligned incoplanar position, said slide being stowable in a position transverselyenveloping one of said parts and the said part with the slide stowedthereon being swingable about the pivot on said first mentioned part toa position at an acute angle with respect to the plane of said firstmentioned part and means on said first mentioned part for selectivelymaintaining the position of said slide and the pressure plate thereonwith respect to the movable member and in which the means on said firstmentioned part for engaging the fixed member comprises a resilient wireassembly consisting of a pair of resilient wire side members, said wireside members projecting beyond the plane of said first mentioned partand engageable with the fixed member, said wire side members beinginterconnected adjacent the plane of the first mentioned member andbeing yieldably displaceable at the plane of said first mentioned part.

3. A closure fastener for securing a movable member with respect to afixed member comprising a pair of pivotally connected parts, means onone of said parts for engaging the fixed member, the other of said partsbeing movable from a position coplanar with the aforesaid part to aposition at an acute angle with respect thereto, a

slide carrying a pressure plate engageablewith the movable member, saidslide having a'transverse section which envelops the transverse sectionof saidpart which engages the fixed member and being shiftable inpositions selectively enveloping each of said parts when said parts arealigned in coplanar position, said slide being stowable in a positiontransversely enveloping one of said parts and the said part with theslide stowed thereon being swingable about the pivot on said firstmentioned part to a position at an acute angle with respect to the planeof said first mentioned part and means on said first mentioned part forselectively maintaining the position of said slide and the pressureplate thereon with respect to the movable member and in which the meanson said part for engaging the fixed member comprises a lug connectedwith said first mentioned part and projectable into the fixed member anda substantially V-shaped resilient wire assembly carried by said firstmentioned part and displaceable toward and away from said lug formaintaining said first mentioned part in engagement with the fixedmember.

4. A closure fastener for securing a movable member with respect to afixed member comprising a pair of pivotally connected parts, means onone of said parts for engaging the fixed member, the other of said partsbeing movable from a position coplanar with the aforesaid part to aposition at an acute angle with respect thereto, a slide carrying apressure plate engageable with the movable member, said slide having atransverse section which envelops the transverse section of said partwhich engages the fixed member and being shiftable in positionsselectively enveloping each of said parts when said parts are aligned incoplanar position, said slide being stowable in a position transverselyenveloping one of said parts and the said part with the slide stowedthereon being swingable about the pivot on said first mentioned part toa position at an acute angle with respect to the plane of said firstmentioned part and means on said first mentioned part for selectivelymaintaining the position of said slide and the pressure plate thereonwith respect to the movable member and in which said first mentionedpart is bifurcated and in which said means for engaging said fixedmember includes a lug projecting from said first mentioned part at thebight portion of said bifurcation, and yieldable means mounted on theface of said first mentioned part and movable longitudinally of saidbifurcation toward and away from said lug, said fixed member having arecess therein, said lug engaging one side of said recess and saidyieldable means resiliently engaging the other side of said recess inthe fixed member.

5. A closure fastener for securing a movable member with respect to afixed member comprising a pair of pivotally connected parts, means onone of said parts for engaging the fixed member, the other of said partsbeing movable from a position coplanar with the aforesaid part to aposition at an acute angle with respect thereto, a slide carrying apressure plate engageable with the movable member, said slide having atransverse section which envelops the transverse section of said partwhich engages the fixed member and being shiftable in positionsselectively enveloping each of said parts when said parts are alignedincoplanar position, said slide being stowable in a positiontransversely enveloping one of said parts and the said part with theslide stowed thereon being swingable about the pivot on said firstmentioned part to a position at an acute angle with respect to the planeof said first mentioned part and means on said first mentioned part forselectively maintaining the position of said slide and the pressureplate thereon with respect to the movable member and in which said meanson one of said parts for engaging the fixed member includes a resilientwire assembly having wire side members fixed at one end to said firstmentioned part and slidably engaging said first mentioned part at theother end thereof,

said wire side members including eonvolutions'therein in portions ofsaid Wire side members which project beyond the plane of said firstmentioned part and offset portions in said wire side members disposedbetween the convolutions therein and the slidable portion thereof whichengages the first mentioned part, said offset portions constitutingnotches engageable with a recess in the fixed member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSMorrison Dec. 10, 1912 Bellows Mar. 10, 1914 Vogel et a1. May 29, 1917Dorion June 18, 1929

